Trent researcher receives $540,000 research award
Dr. Jim Buttle leads national research team to protect Canada's valuable
water resources from possible forest operations impacts
Peterborough, June 20, 2006 – Principal Investigator
Dr. Jim Buttle, Professor, Department of Geography, Trent University,
will receive $540,000 over three years to develop the first national Canadian
forest management watershed framework that will help forest managers to
better protect Canada's valuable water resources from possible impacts
from forest operations. This award is part of a $3.3 million investment
over three years made by the Government of Canada through a Network of
Centres of Excellence, the Sustainable Forest Management Network (SFMN),
in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick.
The investment coincides with the opening of the SFM Network's
fourth scientific conference, being held at the Shaw Conference Centre
in Edmonton. More than 300 participants, representing the forest industry,
provincial governments, First Nations, and non-government organizations,
as well as forest practitioners and researchers from Canada and abroad,
will discuss the latest developments in integrated land management, evolution
of sustainable forest-dependent communities, water-management strategies,
public participation in planning processes, natural disturbance management
and emulation, climate change adaptation, and tenure reform.
“Water is critical to sustaining forest ecosystems and communities
living in forest areas, and information on its storage and movement is
essential for forest managers. While some hydrologic information is available,
it isn't enough to help managers put specific research results into
the proper context,” says Dr. Jim Buttle. “Where you
are in the country determines if you should focus on processes related
to surface water, groundwater or water held in features such as peat bogs.
Knowledge of these key processes will help forest managers to answer properly
site specific questions regarding forest operations.”
Buttle's research team aims to create a database of relevant forest
and water research conducted throughout the country. This will be supplemented
by data on factors such as climate, geology, soils and forests across
Canada, and model simulations of water dynamics under varying forest conditions.
This information will allow the research to be placed in a national framework
so that researchers and forest managers will be better able to determine
the key processes relevant to answering their particular forest and forest
management questions. It will provide a mechanism for upscaling information
obtained through traditional Aboriginal and academic knowledge. Ultimately,
this national framework will allow forest managers to make decisions relevant
from site specific stands to whole forests, and to translate that information
between different stands as well as different forest landscapes for specific
operational and climatic conditions.
Dr. Buttle's proposal went through an extensive scientific
peer-review process. His project received significant support from the
Governments of Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and
Ontario, Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service as well
as forward-thinking forest industries including Abitibi-Consolidated Inc.,
Louisiana-Pacific Canada Ltd., and Tembec Inc. The project was also supported
by Ducks Unlimited Canada and Moose Cree First Nation.
Dr. Buttle will be supported by the Canadian Forest Service (in
the national database creation), and by Drs. Fred Beall and Irena
Creed, University of Western Ontario, Drs. Kevin Devito, Carl Mendoza
and Uldis Silins, University of Alberta, Dr. Dan Moore, University
of British Columbia, Dr. André Plamondon, Laval University
and Dr. Paul Sibley, University of Guelph.
About The Sustainable Forest Management Network
The Sustainable Forest Management Network facilitates collaborative, applied
research partnerships among 32 industry, government, Aboriginal, and non-government
partners in supporting the work of more than 190 researchers. Their research
efforts are accomplished thanks to 300 highly qualified personnel working
at 35 participating institutions across Canada. The SFM Network represents
one of the few forums to bring Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal forest resource
managers and policy makers around one table to promote dialogue and the
development of a common understanding in a non-confrontational environment.
About the Networks of Centres of Excellence
Networks of Centres of Excellence create unique partnerships among all
stakeholders, governments, businesses, workers and communities, and are
an initiative of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council,
the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council, and Industry Canada.
For more project information, contact:
Dr. James Buttle, Professor
Department of Geography
Trent University
Tel: (705) 748-1011 (Ext: 1475)
E-mail: jbuttle@trentu.ca
More information about SFM Network:
Marvin Abugov
Communications Manager
SFM Network
Tel: (780) 492-2492
E-mail: mabugov@ualberta.ca
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